NJ Attorney General Won't Take On Gaymon Case

State Attorney General Paula Dow said Wednesday that her office will not investigate the shooting death of an unarmed Atlanta CEO in a Newark park July 16 by an undercover Essex County sheriff's detective.

Over the last several days, several groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey, have urged the Attorney General to conduct a separate inquiry into the fatal shooting of DeFarra Gaymon, 48, a father of four who was in town for the 30th Montclair High School reunion he organized.

"This is bad news," said William Dobbs, a long-time activist and gay civil rights libertarian, on Wednesday night. "Local law enforcement can't investigate itself. Here a sheriff's officer has used lethal force against an unarmed man. The Essex County sheriff and prosecutor worked to keep the officer's name secret, stonewalling the public's right to know about a homicide. For everyone's sake—the public, the officer, the Gaymon family—there has got to be a thorough, impartial investigation. It's going to take more pressure to get one."

The detective involved, Edward Esposito, said he was investigating complaints about people engaging in sexual acts in the Branch Brook park when the shooting occurred, according to law enforcement reports. Esposito, 29, was the former driver to Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr.

The shooting incident has prompted calls for more communication between gay rights groups, the community, and the police patrolling the park, parts of which are known to be gay cruising spots.

On Wednesday, Darnell Moore, chairman of the City of Newark's Lesbian Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Commission, as well as other gay rights groups representatives, met with Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura to discuss the patrolling of Branch Brook Park in Newark as well as ways to improve communication between the sheriff and gay rights groups.

"The meeting was positive," Moore said.

He said the two sides would meet again soon to discuss areas of partnership between the sheriff's office and LGBT community-based organizations. The sheriff's office has yet to meet with Gaymon's family members, who are demanding an investigation by federal authorities.